His story: Patrick Elliot Mutch, 28, also grew up in Baltimore and goes by his middle name. He works for Bank of America Merrill Lynch as a research analyst. His mother, Amy, is a nurse practitioner, and his father, Patrick, is vice president of strategic physician and program development at St. Agnes Hospital.

Their story: Ashley and Elliot met at Nick's Fish House & Grill in Baltimore at BreastFest, an annual charity event to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness. They sensed an immediate connection and began dating in October 2009, even though Elliott was living in New York at the time and Ashley was in Baltimore.

The proposal: On Dec. 12, 2011, Elliot proposed to Ashley during a trip to Costa Rica.

"We had a really special dinner and then he asked me to take a walk on the beach," Ashley says. "It was a beautiful night under the stars."

Elliot had selected a radiant-cut diamond engagement ring with a trapezoid diamond on either side from Radcliffe Jewelers.

The venue: About 175 guests attended the traditional Jewish ceremony and the reception, which took place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Harbor East.

"It was such a beautiful place," says Ashley. "We really wanted to have a downtown wedding, especially for a winter wedding with all of the lights and festivities."

Her dress: Ashley wore a strapless Monique Lhuillier ballgown from Betsy Robinson Bridal in Pikesville. She also wore silver crystal Jimmy Choo shoes, along with her mom's vintage necklace and her aunt's diamond earrings.

"My sister made a patch that had my initials and the date in blue sewn into the tulle underneath my dress, so that was my 'something blue,' " she says.

Bridesmaid dresses: The bridesmaids also wore floor-length strapless Monique Lhuillier dresses in a champagne color from Bella Bridesmaid in Baltimore.

Men's apparel: The groom and groomsmen wore black tuxedos with black ties and black cummerbunds from Tuxedo House in Timonium. Elliot gave the groomsmen engraved cufflinks to wear the day of the wedding.

Flowers: The couple selected a mixture of roses, orchids and hydrangeas from Belles Fleurs in Baltimore.

Music: 'Round Midnight, a local wedding band, entertained the crowd during the reception and a DJ from Absolute Entertainment played during the after-party, which was also held at the Four Seasons.

"Our first dance was to 'Songbird' by Fleetwood Mac, which is my absolute favorite band of all time," says Ashley.

Living art: The couple hired local artist Patricia Bennett to paint scenes of the wedding.

"People could watch her as she was painting," says Ashley. "It was a really cool touch, and now we have a beautiful painting of our wedding — it's so different."

Dessert: Ashley and Elliot chose a traditional tiered cake from Debi's Cake Studio. The top and bottom layers were tiramisu. There was also a vanilla layer with raspberry cream filling and a layer of chocolate fudge with raspberry filling.

Afterward, the couple served an assortment of late-night foods, including truffle French fries, miniature grilled cheese sandwiches, little boxes of fried chicken, and macaroni and cheese.

Flavorful favors: After the reception, guests took home French macarons in various flavors. Upon arrival, guests staying at the Four Seasons received a Maryland-themed gift bag full of Berger cookies, Utz crab chips and other gifts.

RSVP

Just wedded? Or planning your nuptials? Tell us about it. Email your wedding details and contact information to weddings@baltsun.com

More wedding info

For more coverage of bridal trends and wedding-planning adventures, go to baltimoresun.com/weddings.

'Tis the season to get married, and local celebrities are no exception. From politicians to athletes and TV personalities, we've rounded up engagement and wedding photos from Baltimore's biggest names. Who knows? Perhaps you'll find inspiration for your own nuptials. -- L'Oreal Thompson

Browse photos of recent Maryland weddings -- from traditional church ceremonies to quirky, Baltimore-themed celebrations. To read more about each couple's story, go to baltimoresun.com/weddings. Just wedded? Email your wedding details to weddings@baltsun.com.

It's one of the most important wedding decisions — where to, you know, have the wedding. Apart from finding a spot that fits your unique tastes and themes, there's the matter of timing. Some wedding consultants suggest booking one year or more in advance. Yeah, these places fill up fast.

Love is in the air, which means it's a good time to start thinking of ways to ask your romantic partner to marry you. Whether you're edgy or old-fashioned, here are some suggestions for the best places to propose in Baltimore. Good luck and be sure to use the comments field below to share your...

Trends are just that -- trends. Even when it comes to weddings. Some stick around for a while (destination weddings!) while others quickly die (cupcakes -- hopefully). We asked two local wedding planners to share some of the biggest Baltimore wedding trends they've been noticing lately. -- Sarah...